Taste- Nice and hoppy, but then again my taste bud may have been ruined by this time. Lots of bitter dark chocolate and a good deal of fresh coffee flavor. A bit of a barrel taste with a touch of alcohol as well.

Mouthfeel- Smooth, but also has a nice carbonation level. Leaves some hops in the aftertaste with a fuller mouthfeel.

Drinkability- Wish I had tried this earlier in the tasting. As is, it was still very good though...better than very good actually.

More User Reviews:

Stouts have always had a special place in my beer drinking heart. Ever since I first tried this beer in the 12oz bottles I was sold. Beautiful all around, and that's my view on everyday releases of this beer. To have a big bottle, barrel aged is just the icing on the cake. Pours out dark and thick with a beautiful brown hazey hue head. Bitter whiskey bite at the beginning, maintains that bite for quite a bit and smooths out ever so slightly. Hints of wood and vannila from the barrel aging. All and all, great beer. Definitely a cold day beer.

Did a little mini vertical of this and that XII at March Madness, thanks jh1982 for bringing this gem (at least compared to my XII, ugh). Very dark brown, minimal tan head to it. Big alcohol aroma, chocolate, heavy bourbon. Damn, I can't believe adding such a massive beer to bourbon, but shit, they're doing it with barleywines these days.

Fears were put to rest of a massive alcohol heat wave upon sipping, nice chocolate and bourbon integration. Yes, it is huge, and there is definite alcohol awareness and heat, but not so much that it is not enjoyable. More vanilla in this mouthfeel. More chocolate, brown sugar arrives.

I still prefer the non barrel aged version of this beer, but its far from bad.

Pours black with a one-finger brown head. The head recedes into a wispy layer on top leaving solid lacing.

Smells of smooth roasted malts and robust dark chocolate. Also present are solid amounts of vanilla. The stickier bourbon flavors really don't come into play until it warms and meld nicely with everything else.

Tastes very good. Roasted malt flavors that are robust yet not overpowering kick things off and are joined shortly by good amounts of dark chocolate. Midway through the sip vanilla flavors enter into things and carry through to a mildly bitter ending. As with the smell, once the beer warms the bourbon flavors are really allowed to shine with hints of butterscotch.

Mouthfeel is very good. It's got a smooth thickness with grainy carbonation.

Drinkability is also very good. I finished my glass very quickly and could easily have a few more.

Overall I feel as though the bourbon notes were more muted in the XI than they were in the XII however that could be partly from the age on the bottle. Either way, both are very good beers and worth seeking out.

A tasty treat, from Bruisn' Ales. This is despite the bourbon, which gave gave the chocolate and coffee aromas an added whiskey kick. Pours and tastes like a chocolate milkshake, very dark brown and bubbly white head. Full mouthfeel.The bourbon dimension is secondary and coconut mainly. Smooth.

Pours a pitch dark black color with a light tan head that possesses excellent stick and retention. The aroma is fantastic! It is dark and roasty with vanilla, oak, bourbon and chocolate. The taste like the aroma is fantastic! It starts out with some roasty malt flavors along with some coffee and vanilla along with some bourbon in the finish. The mouthfeel is medium to full bodied with a perfect amount of carbonation. Wow, this is one hell of a RIS and definitely one of the best beers within the style. Overall, Rasputin XI is highly recommended and definitely worth seeking out.

I needed to treat myself tonight and make dents in my stash, so this accomplished both

A: Pitch black with no light able to get through. When poured the head rose very quickly but settled to a nice quarter inch thick mocha colored espresso like head. Some decent lacing was there was well but it could have been better

S: It starts first with a slightly bready note followed by a heavy wood and bourbon note. Also a bit of chocolate and vanilla is present as well. There is a slight coffee note and something else but i dont know how to desribe it

T: Very woody and whiskey tasting. Some smokiness, and a burnt coffee flavor as well. Very heavy in terms of bourbon for sure. Also some sweet chocolate and vanilla taste, and a bitter roasted quality

M: A bit on the lighter side, and the only boozy taste is from the barrel againg. It is fairly obvious that this was a bit more infused with bourbon then alot of other bourbon aged beers.

Creamy, thick and heavy mouthfeel with a rich, bold character and rich bold flavors of black coffee, espresso, dark bitter chocolate with a back palate of hops and a bitter dark chocolate/coffee finish.

The mouthfeel was the most desireable part of this stout. Thick, creamy and luscious. It tasted of genuine quality. This stout is classy, big, full and rich. Unfortunately, while I am a big fan of this beer from the bottle, tasting it from a nitro tap was a real treat!

Black obviously, with a thin cap of tannish foam. It left flecks of lace and "legs" seemingly as the lace sort of drained itself back into the glass. A brisk swirl brought back the half finger of foam. Aroma was very nice, big vanilla and oak traces, with a sweet fruity ester in there from the bourbon. Flavor was dominant on the vanilla, with dry unsweetened chocolate in the back, and dry woody notes in the finish. Bourbon element was soft and balanced. It wasn't heavy at all, instead it sort of lightly dissipated to creamy foam when held on the palate. Very roasty, with the creamy feel of a latte, and the density of an RIS. Perfect nightcap for a rainy spring night...

Got this one from Brickskeller in D.C. on a night out trying different brews. It is a dark black, viscous-looking beer with a little bit of cream in the head. The carbonation was by no means overwhelming, but the strength of the chocolate malt and vanilla bean in the initial taste are certainly of note. The thing that surprised me most was the fact that the beer was not as thick as you think it would be upon pouring it. It is actually quite drinkable in the long run in this regard. The roasted chocolate taste sits in the back of your throat, while the bitterness flows to the front and does not run out of consistency towards the end of the sip. The mouthfeel is near-remarkable with a nice, 12% ABV and a decent body throughout.

Bottle: Poured a pitch-black stout with a large dirty brown foamy head with good retention and some really good lacing. Aroma of bourbon is really dominating with some light notes of black chocolate coming through. Taste is totally dominated by bourbon with some warming alcohol notes and light black chocolate notes. Body is full with some creamy notes and good carbonation but alcohol is too apparent. Not bad overall though you might as well drink bourbon since it is so overpowering.

This is a super carbonated beer, so much so that the carbonation thins out the body a bit. You can actually see light through it as you pour. Body settles as black as tar in the glass. Head is three fingers of rocky carmel brown head that is easily achieved. Dots of lace are left as it slowly fades. Nose is up front with lots of roasty malts and a coco like sweetness. There are a bit of oaky notes in the smell as well. I am amazed with first sip, and almost blown away. Layers of bourbon, chocolate, carmel, licorice and zesty malts bring a real complexity to this beer. So rich and flavorful and all coming together with such balance and grace. A whiskey like alcohol feel grips onto the back of the tongue but in a good way. The alcohol is not hot at all, actually well hidden. Mouthfeel is thick rich and of caramelized bourbon. The drinkability is very good for the style and alcohol percentage.

T/M: Not as thick and intense as I would have expected given the smell and appearance. The bourbon is definitely all powerful here, dominating a little too much. Nice vanilla oak and chocolate flavors. Some coffee. A bit hot. Definitely distinctly different from the normal Rasputin.

D: A nice sipper. It's a doozy. Wouldn't want more than this 500ml.

Overall, a great stout. But I give this a lower rating than the "regular" Rasputin. The bourbon was just a little too dominant, with notable heat that threw things a bit out of whack. Given a year or so of aging, though, and I think this one would easily best the regular one. Thankfully, due the generosity of my friends, I have another one, so I'll report back. If you only have one, though, I'd recommend sitting it for a bit.